How to become a councillor

To stand in the upcoming election, you must follow these steps.

Step 1: check your eligibility

To stand in a Kent County Council election you must be:

a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, a qualifying EU citizen or an EU citizen with retained rights
at least 18 years old
registered to vote in Kent or have lived, worked or owned property in the county for at least 12 months before an election.

You cannot become a councillor if you:

work for Kent County Council or for another local authority in a politically restricted post
are the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order
have been sentenced to prison for three months or more (including suspended sentences) during the five years before election day
have been convicted of a corrupt or illegal practice by an election court.

For further details about qualifications and disqualifications, read the Electoral Commission Guidance.

Step 2: decide if you want to stand for a political party or as an independent

If you are eligible you must decide if you want to stand for a political party or as an independent. To stand:

for a political party, you need to contact them directly and take part in their selection process
as an independent, resources and advice are available via the LGA Independent Office and the LGA Independent Group's Be a Councillor webpage.

Step 3: read the Electoral Commission guide

After you have chosen who you will stand for, read the Electoral Commission guide on how to put yourself forward for an election.

Step 4: complete and submit your nomination papers during the nomination period

The County Returning Officer appoints 12 Deputy Returning Officers (DROs) in each of the city/borough/district councils in Kent to administer and conduct the poll in their area on our behalf.

During the election process, your main point of contact will be your DRO via their elections office. Contact details for the local elections offices in Kent are listed below. If you are unsure which office you should contact, search by postcode to find the contact details for your local elections office.

You can obtain the nomination papers from your local elections office.

Nominations must be submitted to the Deputy Returning Officer at your local elections office between Monday 24 March and Wednesday 2 April (inclusive) between 10am and 4pm.

Read guidance on how to complete the nomination papers.

When completing your nomination papers, you will need to state which electoral division you are standing in. Read the electoral division information for each district.

Step 5: build your local profile, reputation, and campaign

You will be ready to campaign to stand for election.

The Electoral Commission has a comprehensive guidance document for candidates which covers all aspects of standing in local government elections, including campaigning.

Read the full guidance or specific sections:

You may also be interested in reading a statement published by the Electoral Commission around the use of generative AI in campaigning.

Support once you're a councillor

A comprehensive induction programme for new and returning elected members is planned which is being overseen by the Member Development Sub-Committee. This will include the provision of IT equipment and support.

Be a councillor events

If you missed our be a councillor event in October 2024, don't worry you can watch a recording of the event. You'll hear from a number of county councillors explaining:

their roles and responsibilities
how they became a councillor
what training they receive.

Watch the recording.

Contact your Deputy Returning Officer

Contact your DRO via your local elections office. If you are unsure which office you should contact, search by postcode to find the contact details for your local elections office.

Ashford

Ashford Borough Council
Deputy Returning Officer
International House
Dover Place
Ashford TN23 1HU

Email vote@ashford.gov.uk

Canterbury

Canterbury City Council
Deputy Returning Officer
14 Rose Lane
Canterbury CT1 2UR

Email electoral.services@canterbury.gov.uk

Dartford

Dartford Borough Council
Deputy Returning Officer
Room C1
Civic Centre
Home Gardens
Dartford DA1 1DR

Email electoral.registration@dartford.gov.uk

Dover

Dover District Council
Deputy Returning Officer
Council Offices
White Cliffs Business Park
Dover CT16 3PJ

Email vote@dover.gov.uk

Folkestone and Hythe

Folkestone and Hythe District Council
Deputy Returning Officer
Civic Centre
Castle Hill Avenue
Folkestone CT20 2QY

Email elections@folkestone-hythe.gov.uk

Gravesham

Gravesham Borough Council
Deputy Returning Officer
Civic Centre
Windmill Street
Gravesend DA12 1AU

Email electoral.services@gravesham.gov.uk

Maidstone

Maidstone Borough Council
Deputy Returning Officer
Electoral Services
Maidstone House
King Street
Maidstone ME15 6JQ

Email electoralservices@maidstone.gov.uk

Sevenoaks

Sevenoaks District Council
Deputy Returning Officer
Council Offices
Argyle Road
Sevenoaks TN13 1HG

Email elections@sevenoaks.gov.uk

Swale

Swale Borough Council
Deputy Returning Officer
Swale House
East Street
Sittingbourne ME10 3HT

Email elections@swale.gov.uk

Thanet

Thanet District Council
Deputy Returning Officer
Council Offices
PO Box 9
Cecil Street
Margate CT9 1XZ

Email electoral.services@thanet.gov.uk

Tonbridge and Malling

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
Deputy Returning Officer
Gibson Building
Gibson Drive
Kings Hill
West Malling ME19 4LZ

Email voting@tmbc.gov.uk

Tunbridge Wells

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
Deputy Returning Officer
Town Hall
Mount Pleasant Road
Tunbridge Wells TN1 1RS

Email elections@tunbridgewells.gov.uk

Contact us

Email elections@kent.gov.uk if you have any further questions.